Bermuda has a new Acting US Consul General in the run-up to the arrival of permanent postholder Larry Owen.

Ex-US Navy pilot-turned-diplomat Douglas Dobson last week took up the job of Deputy Principal Officer at the Consul General's Office and will act in that position until Mr. Owen arrives on the Island -- perhaps as early as next month.

Mr. Dobson -- who arrived on the Island only days ago -- said yesterday he was looking forward to his new posting, expected to last three years.

The diplomat -- who came to Bermuda from a post at the US Embassy in Brazil's capital, Brasilia -- said: "Bermuda is lovely, charming and friendly.

"I have nothing about which to complain at all.'' Mr. Dobson added that his top priority -- with the sale of the luxury Chelston and its 14 acres to a mystery US millionaire businessman -- was finding a home for Mr. Owen and wife Faylene.

He said: "His definite arrival plans have not been made, but we hope to know next week when exactly he will be here.

"Finding a house is occupying most of my waking moments. I'm not at liberty to discuss that at the present time, but we're certainly working on it.'' And Mr. Dobson confirmed that a long-term rental for Mr. Owen's term of office -- which will end when US president Bill Clinton quits the White House in January, 2001 -- is on the cards.

He said: "I think that's probably going to be true for the duration of Mr.

Owen's assignment here.'' But Mr. Dobson stressed: "We're still looking at buying a property to replace Chelston.'' Mr. Dobson replaces Bruce Berton who was transferred to his country's official presence in Hong Kong.

The new appointee, 48, is a second-generation member of the US foreign service, signing up from the Navy in 1984.

Wisconsin-born Mr. Dobson graduated from Marquette University, Milwaukee with a BA degree and speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and Serbo-Croat.

Among his previous postings were Bolivia, Honduras, Croatia and Greece.

The father-of-four is a keen golfer and also enjoys tennis and fishing.